EEH welcomes integrated Great British Railways

England’s Economic Heartland has welcomed publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan For Rail.

Mayor Dave Hodgson, Chair of England’s Economic Heartland’s Strategic Transport Forum, said: “This is a watershed moment for our nation’s railways.

“We welcome Government’s long-term commitment to rail through the creation of an integrated body. This provides the opportunity to ensure rail’s potential is maximised and allows us to work with our partners to align investment in local connectivity.

“Our railways must be at the heart of the country’s decarbonised transport system – it’s why delivering East West Rail is of such importance for the Heartland and the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.  We need the move to electrify the wider rail network taken forward at pace. We must continue to see investment in rail as a catalyst for restoring passenger confidence and supporting sustainable economic growth, with stations acting as focal points for the communities they serve.

“EEH – and the other sub-national transport bodies – are uniquely positioned to work with Great British Railways to deliver a network which puts the user at its core. This includes working together to improve the planning and provision of rail freight – a crucial aspect of maximising the potential of a 21st century rail network which supports the decarbonisation of the wider transport system.  It’s why EEH continues to press for delivery of the Felixstowe to Nuneaton corridor improvements.

“In working with Great British Railways EEH will build upon the strong working relationship with Network Rail and the wider rail sector, which has provided the basis for developing a rail investment programme for the region and which has directly informed our Transport Strategy.”

England’s Economic Heartland Programme Director Martin Tugwell has been appointed as Transport for the North’s new chief executive.Martin, who joined EEH in 2015 and is currently President of the CIHT, will remain in post until the end of July.

Mayor Dave Hodgson, Chair of EEH Strategic Transport Forum, said: “I’d like to congratulate Martin on his new role. He has played an instrumental role in establishing EEH as the region’s Sub-national Transport Body, culminating in the publication of our Transport Strategy earlier this year.

“Work will now begin on appointing Martin’s successor to drive forward the implementation of the Transport Strategy, ensuring our region has a world class transport system which supports economic growth while cutting emissions.”

Martin said: “It’s been a privilege to work with the Heartland’s political and business leaders over the last six years and to help make EEH what it is today. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with EEH and am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved.

“At the heart of our success is the talented group of professionals that make up the EEH business unit. I know that they will continue to push the boundaries and work with our partners to deliver our Transport Strategy to the benefit of our communities and businesses.”

Transport for the North and England’s Economic Heartland are among seven sub-national transport bodies covering the entirety of England outside of London. The Department for Transport regards STBs as the regional partnerships it works with to plan and deliver strategic transport infrastructure in support of economic growth.